The present invention relates to an infant bed and, in particular, to a portable infant protective bed for preventing an infant from being injured accidentally by an adult rolling over on the infant. Recently, this problem has gained attention in the media where there have been instances of infants being injured when sleeping in close proximity to a sleeping adult where the adult accidentally rolls over and injures the infant.
Various infant beds and mattress systems have been disclosed in the past. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,465, dated Aug. 17, 1999, issued to James M. Carew et al., which discloses a dual sleeping surface mattress, constructed to provide one sleeping surface which restricts the movement of an individual, such as small infants or adolescent children. The mattress body is reversible between upward and downward orientations which in one configuration supplies a sleeping recess for an infant and in the other configuration a mattress for adolescent children by filling the recess. The recess provides a restriction of movement of the infant away from the edges of a larger bed or a crib.
A bed enclosure for a baby is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,090, dated Feb. 3, 1998, issued to Kenneth R. Rodgers, which discloses a bed enclosure for a baby comprising a dome-shaped frame sized to extend over the baby sleeping on a bed with its parent. The dome-shaped frame is designed to protect the baby from being smothered by the parent inadvertently rolling on top of the baby while the parent is sleeping.
A collapsible child restrainer is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,233,710, dated Aug. 10, 1993, issued to Louise Bernard, which discloses a restrainer which forms an elongate triangular tube with a right angle between a base panel for resting on a resting surface and a vertical panel. The vertical panel provides a child restraining wall and the restrainer is connected to other similar restrainers at an angle of 90 degrees to form a rectangular crib area for infants.
A safety rail for sleeping beds is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,726, dated Jun. 24, 1997, issued to Lois Fichner-Rathus, which discloses a safety accessory for attachment to a sleeping bed for preventing the occupant from falling out. The invention provides for a guardrail that can be affixed to a bed, where the guardrail is held in place by a member that both crosses under the sleeping surface and additionally protrudes out of the other side of the bed to make contact with the other side of the bed. The side guard panel can be fitted with various utility apparatus including toys for children, electronic gear, sleep surveillance room monitors, pressure sensors, or other equipment desired to be collocated with the bed.
As can be seen from the hereinbefore described prior art, none of the devices are designed to awaken a sleeping adult upon contact with an infant bed should the adult accidentally roll over on the infant bed while sleeping in the adult bed.
The present invention provides a portable and protective bed for preventing an infant from accidentally being seriously injured when the infant and an adult or other larger person are sleeping together in close proximity, for example. The portable infant protective bed of the present invention includes a frame which includes a rigid base and rigid wall members attached to the base to form a central recessed portion. The base has a rigid exterior lip portion extending outwardly uniformly from the rigid wall members. A sleeping pad is housed within the central recessed portion, and supported by the base. A resilient bumper member is attached to and supported between the top of the rigid exterior lip portion of the base and the exterior of the rigid wall members. A cleanable cover is included and sized to snuggly encompass the pad and the resilient bumper member.
Pressure sensitive switch assemblies are attached to the wall members and housed within the resilient bumper member. The pressure sensitive switch assemblies desirably include pressure sensitive switch members attached to the wall members. The switch members have a pressure sensitive portion. The switch assemblies include a spring-loaded rigid activation members. The activation members include switch contact members in operative alignment with the pressure sensitive portions of the switch members. An energy source is connected in circuit with the pressure sensitive switch members. An alarm assembly is connected in circuit with the pressure sensitive switch members and the energy source, whereby when an infant is sleeping on the infant protective bed on the pad in close proximity to a sleeping adult, and, in the event that the adult rolls onto the resilient bumper member, the weight of the adult will cause at least one of the activation members to depress and contact one or more of the pressure sensitive switch members, thereby causing the alarm assembly to activate to wake the adult to prevent injury to the infant.
Preferably, the infant protective bed of the present invention has a rectangular base. Also the bumper member preferably comprises a resilient polyurethane foam, for example. The bumper member preferably is provided with voids in the polyurethane foam in predetermined position so that the switch members and other devices may be housed within the bumper member voids.
Preferably, each of the spring-loaded activation members includes an elongated rigid bar and spring-loaded support members disposed proximate the ends thereof. The spring-loaded support members have bottom portions affixed to the wall members. The elongated activation bars are each positioned close to the outer surface of the resilient bumper member in parallel relationship with one of the wall members.
Preferably, the spring-loaded support members each includes a coil spring mounted between one of the wall members and one of the rigid activation bars. The support member also includes a first tubular nut having a first threaded interior surface therein. The first tubular nut slideably passes through the coil spring and is in coaxial alignment with it. A first machine screw is engageable with the first threaded surface of the first tubular nut. The rigid bar has a first aperture therethrough proximate the ends thereof. The first machine screw passes through the first aperture and is engageable with the first threaded surface of the first tubular nut. The first tubular nut desirably has a blind head at one end. The wall members each have an opening therein sized to receive the head of the first tubular nut. Preferably, a base plate is attached to the wall member over the opening. The base plate has a second aperture through it. The first tubular nut slideably passes through the second aperture, whereby when the activation bar is depressed the first tubular nut is caused to travel thereby causing the switch contact member to engage the pressure sensitive portion of the switch member.
Preferably, the switch contact members each includes a second machine screw and a second tubular nut having a second threaded interior surface. The second tubular nut also has a second blind head attached at one end engageable with the pressure sensitive portion of the switch member. The rigid bar has a third aperture passing through it. The second machine screw passes through the third aperture of the rigid activation bar and is engageable with the second threaded surface of the second tubular nut.
Preferably, the alarm assembly includes motor-vibrator members attached to the spring-loaded activation bars. The motor-vibrator members are connected in circuit with the pressure sensitive switch members, whereby when the alarm assembly is energized by one of the activation bars being depressed and causing at least one of the switch contact members to contact the pressure sensitive portion of one of the switch members of one of the switch assemblies may cause the motor-vibrator member to be activated to wake the sleeping adult.
Preferably, the alarm assembly further includes a loud-sound-emitting device connecting in circuit with the pressure sensitive switch members, whereby when the alarm assembly is energized by one of the elongated bars being depressed and causing the switch contact members to contact the pressure sensitive portion of one of the switch members may cause the loud sound emitting device to be activated to wake the sleeping adult.
Preferably, the alarm assembly also includes a loud sound emitting device enabling switch connected in circuit with the loud-sound-emitting device to permit the loud-sound-emitting device to be used as part of the alarm assembly as desired.
The alarm assembly preferably further comprises a motor-vibrator member enabling switch connected in circuit with the motor vibrator members to permit the motor-vibrator members to be used as part of the alarm assembly as desired.
The alarm assembly desirably further includes a low battery warning light connected in circuit with the energy source. The energy source may be a battery, for example.
The bumper member preferably has a sloped adult contact surface portion of predetermined slope and position around the central recessed portion. Desirably, the sloped contact portions are from about 35 degrees to about 55 degrees from the vertical. Preferably, the upper surface of the elongated activation bars and the sloped contact portions of the bumper member are coplanar. The sides of the activation bars are desirably attached to the resilient polyurethane foam of the bumper member. Preferably contact adhesive is attached to the side of the activation bar to the resilient polyurethane foam of the bumper member, and also attaches the foam to the frame.